Welcome back to the blog, while I am nearing the end of my winter season away from work this year, I thought it would be a good opportunity to post another article while I have time on my side and I'm in the mood for writing! In this particular article we will look at my Patek Philippe Calatrava 5000G, an interesting timepiece that is the pinnacle of my collecting journey thus far.
Reference 5000G
So I guess we should start with why I decided upon adding this particular model to my collection (At the time of writing this post, I have had nearly 3 years with the watch). I had recently, somewhat reluctantly traded in my former Patek 5196R for a Rolex DateJust reference 16234 with a rather special sodalite dial. My decision making behind this move was the fact that I just did not wear the 5196 as much as I thought I would, coupled with the relative ''bargain'' I picked it up for, this gave a gateway to explore a different genre entirely, stone dials. Why I chose the Sodalite DateJust is a story for another article! I was in the territory of wanting to offload a piece that just didn't fit right.
The 5196 is a truly stunning timepiece, however I just felt that it belonged in the watch box to occasionally be taken out and admired for what it is and what it stands for. The 5196 shares plenty of DNA with the original 96 albeit a modern take on the reference, I adored the simplicity, the dial layout and overall form of the timepiece. I couldn't really fault it, some people comment on the 215ps movement being far too small for the case size, however this is hidden by the closed case back and therefore it never really bothered me! Apart from this and rarely wearing the 5196, I also figured that Rose-gold isn't my precious metal of choice.
My short-lived experience with the 5196R
You purchase a Patek and never consider selling it right? Well this was the situation I had found myself in and the 5196R was gone, this left what I can only describe as a 'hole' in my collection. As soon as I had traded it I felt an almost instant regret, but this was strange as I was convinced that the piece wasn't right for me and I had made a justified decision. Patek Philippe marketing masterclass maybe? ''You never actually own a Patek Philippe''? I knew right away that I had to get back on the hunt for a Calatrava reference that would suit my tastes better, it is the model that saved Patek Philippe and has come to fruition in so many forms over the years, there must be a reference out there that I could connect with better.
So the research and reading began, for me it was important to have a Calatrava in the collection. Historically a very important timepiece, produced by one of the finest most prestigious brands in horology. I began again attempting to understand what it was I look for most in watches, form, function and heritage but most importantly a good story. That is how I stumbled across the reference 5000, it honestly could not be further away from my previous 5196 in terms of aesthetic. However it still had the case and the lines synonymous with the Calatrava line, a simple time only timepiece, stripped right back.
My only concern surrounding the reference 5000 was its proportions, at the time of my research I wasn't used to wearing smaller cased watches and on paper, 33mm felt maybe it would be a little too conservative on my wrist. After further scouring on IG and websites I could get a better idea of proportions and wrist presence, its long lugs and precious metal case reassured me. This was a gentleman's watch after all and personally speaking I would much rather wear a smaller watch than sport a behemoth hanging off my wrist.
A small case, however considerable presence
I knew almost instantly that this reference would get more wear than my 5196, the 5000 came in 3 different case materials over its ten year production cycle from 1992-2002. It was also released in relatively low production numbers, I recall reading there could well have been less than 1000 white gold examples produced over the decade. This was going to be quite a rare bird to find in a good condition. I felt that the white gold reference would suit my tastes and would be a more wearable daily option in comparison to the yellow and rosegold examples. I also love the contrast of the dial and white numerals against the white gold case- it really enhances its aesthetic.
So apart from the bold aesthetics and odd ball characteristics of this Calatrava reference, I looked into the movement and calibre, the reference 5000 utilises the 240ps micro-rotor movement. A very important calibre for Patek, it was born in the middle of the quartz crisis in 1977 and debuted on the Ellipse, it was one of the thinnest selfwinding calibres of its time. Equipped with a 22K gold microrotor to ensure enough inertia to wind when on the wrist, finished to the highest standards and displayed beautifully on the open caseback. The calibre would continue to be evolved over the years and found itself in the likes of the Worldtime and Nautilus 3712.
The 240PS movement
However, after all of this has been said, what was it that most intrigued me? The story of course. According to reputable sources the reference 5000 was planned to involve a collaboration between Patek Philippe and Ferrari. This myth, story or whatever you want to call it is convincingly backed up by the dials striking resemblance to the speedometers of Ferrari's early automotive instrument designs. The configuration of the dial along with the similarity in numerals carried a very similar theme. According to Horology Ancienne in a recent IG post where further information was shared, Ferrari after approving the design had requested that the their logo was placed on the dial. Patek Philippe denied the request and subsequently decided to put the watch into production without the connection to Ferrari. It was after this that Patek Philippe decided to never partner with another brand. This story is an example of something I feel other brands should certainly take note of and consider for there longer term strategies.
So after a fairly lengthy hunt a near perfect example came up for sale, this particular piece was in a fantastic condition and included all original paperwork and boxes. It just so happened that it was also originally sold in Italy in 1993, my birth year! I am not usually bothered with the box and papers, ideally I look for condition before I consider the extras however this time around it was a really good opportunity to collect them all together, especially with this piece being a bit of a rare bird, its nice to have some accompanying provenance. A big thank-you goes out to Timeless Vintage Watches based in the Netherlands, an absolute pleasure to deal with.
Many thanks for taking the time to read this article, I simply adore this Calatrava reference and look forward to making many more memories with it, I hope if you are on the lookout for one this post can help you come to a decision!
All the best, Josh
